Does Medicare care pay for Nursing home care?

Medicare nursing home coverage is not a straightforward topic. What does Medicare cover? What does the patient have to pay for on his own? The answers to these questions will determine the kind of care you need. Medicare Part A typically includes up to 100 days of skilled care. Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover long-term care.

What is a nursing home?

A Nursing home is a facility that offers special care to seniors who need help with their lives. These types of facilities can provide medical assistance or volunteer help. Sometimes seniors are housed or opt for a care facility due to the high demands on the daily care needed by the recipient.

Many nursing homes have skilled and trained nurses who specialize in the needs of the patient. Sometimes there is also a doctor on standby who can also treat complaints. There are many different types of nursing homes; some are more at home, with a home-like feeling where others may feel more medicated, with nurse stations and other functions found in a hospital.

Does Medicare cover nursing homes?

Medicare Part A includes inpatient treatments, such as the type of care you would receive in a nursing home. However, this coverage is limited. Medicare starts with 100% of the first 20 days of a qualifying nursing home stay. After the 20th day, Medicare only covers 80% of these costs. This means that you usually have to pay a co-insurance sum of $ 167.50 per day. These are the remaining 20% ​​of the costs. These are the current costs in 2018.

As soon as you have reached 100 days in the care facility, Medicare will discontinue payment. As a result, you are responsible for all costs associated with your nursing home stay. For this reason, Medicare only claims short-term care. This type of short term care may be required if you are recovering from an illness or injury. If you need long-term care for disability, disease, or illness, Medicare will not pay for the expenses.

In addition, nursing homes offer some services that Medicare may not cover. This includes a custodial care or a private room.

Does Medicare Supplements Cover Nursing Homes?

If you are looking for ways to fully pay for your nursing home care, a Medicare supplement may be the solution. Some Medicare supplement plans cover the 20% coverage that you would normally be responsible for on days 21 to 100. This ensures that you are fully covered in case you need to stay in a nursing home for a short time.

Unfortunately, just like Medicare, these plans do not cover long-term care. They are designed to fill the gaps in Medicare coverage by taking over the percentage of costs not covered by Medicare.

If you find that you may need home care, it is important that you find a facility that accepts Medicare and that is Medicare certified. It’s difficult to do it alone. For this reason, Medicare has created an easy-to-use tool that allows seniors to locate a nursing home.